The Indiana Pacers have offered Terrence Williams to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for veteran small forward Tayshaun Prince. The Pacers have asked that the teams also swap first round draft picks for the 2013 NBA Draft.

Sources have indicated that the Pistons may be looking to the trade market to improve their team. The Pacers are currently trying to bring some more experience and leadership to their side. It is unclear whether the Pistons are willing to part with Prince who has played for the club during his entire NBA career.

The Chicago Bulls must be pretty annoyed about losing to fellow Central Division team; the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons (18-24) must be really happy about themselves after they notched their third win in a row behind a 20 point, 11 rebound effort from Greg Monroe. Corey Maggette scored 19 points while Rodney Stuckey and Brandon Knight had 18 apiece.

Rip Hamilton tried his best against his former team as he collected 23 points on 8 for 17 shooting. Derrick Rose was solid with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists. The Bulls did not threaten the Pistons at all during the 118-104 drubbing on their home court.

The Pistons were coming off wins against Boston and Orlando before arriving in Chicago to take on the Bulls. “It’s another high point in an up and down season,” Coach Lawrence Frank stated.

You should pick up Indiana's proposal of Williams. He's younger than Prince since he's 25, he's more athletic and he can hit those jumpshots too. The downsides are Prince's experience in the league and your 2013 Draft pick which is pretty valuable from where your team stands now.

Greg Oden was the first to get injured in the new year. Oden even joked about it as he was taken off in a wheelchair. “At least I got a rebound!” Oden was strangely jovial , “I didn’t play for two years in Portland. At least I got a rebound before I got hurt for Detroit.”Bobby didn’t understand the joke but just laughed along. He accompanied Oden to hospital and reported back to Dumars afterwards.“Bad news,” Bobby said over the phone, “He’s out for a month. Broken toe.”“Not to worry. The other Greg is back soon,” Dumars quipped. Monroe came back indeed and so did the team’s winning ways. Detroit improved slowly over January thanks to their best big man being back on the basketball court. Lawrence Frank was waiting patiently so that he could test out a little dream of his since the team signed Oden – to start both Greg’s at the same time.

Bobby and Dumars had a meeting scheduled with Mr Groves the Pistons owner. Groves had asked that they present to him the direction of the club, the progress that had been made, and the plan from here. Bobby and Dumars had to confirm with certain players about their plans. The first was Corey Maggette.“So we just want to know about how you’re going?” Bobby first asked Maggette.“Everything is going fine,” Maggette replied – there really wasn’t anything else that he could say.“Do you have any thoughts on what you will do at the end of the season with your contract expiring?” Dumars asked him quite frankly.Maggette answered, “I will be testing the market. I want to see what else is out there. I want to play for a contender.”“That’s fair enough,” Dumars conceded.In actual fact, the Pistons had no intention in chasing after Maggette after this season. He was seen by many as a distraction and was only on the books to give the team salary cap relief. The next player was Charlie Villanueva whom Bobby headed straight to the point with.“Charlie,” Bobby informed him, “I am very sorry but we will not be likely to resign you at the end of the season. We thought it would be best to tell you now so that you will be ready for this. I’m afraid we just have not worked out. If you do prove to us that you can be a valuable piece then we will reconsider our position but at this stage, we are looking to move in a different direction.”Giving Villanueva the harsh news was tough for Bobby as Dumars sat next to him and stared blankly ahead. Dumars was the one who foolishly overpaid Villanueva many years prior. He was relieved that he could have Bobby to act as the mouthpiece in this situation. Austin Daye came into to the office next and stated, “I want to see what else is out there for me at the end of the season.”Bobby took note of that and crossed Daye off his list. He didn’t think he was worth keeping anyway. The phone and Dumars’ secretary said that it was Larry Bird. Dumars took the call.“I don’t know how many times I need to tell you Larry,” Dumars shouted, “We don’t want Terrence Williams!”Larry was pushing the issue, “Come on Joe. He’s younger, more athletic. He’s a good player.”Dumars laughed, “I’m not taking that bullshit. He’s an idiot. We don’t want trouble makers here in Detroit.”After Dumars had hung up, long-time Piston Jason Maxiell came into the office. It was his lucky day.“We want you to stay. It’s all about how much and how long,” explained Dumars.“I’m happy to stay,” Maxiell exclaimed, “Actually, I want to stay in Detroit.”“That’s good,” Dumars nodded, “We would be pleased if you could play your whole career here. There are a lot of guys here who respect you a lot.”“Talk to my agent about the specifics but I just want you to know that I really want to stay here,” reiterated Maxiell, “And I want to win so I am willing to take a pay cut.”Dumars and Bobby both smiled about how selfless Maxiell was. Maxiell was signed to a new contract days later and he was due to make half of what he was currently making. The Pistons were quite pleased that he was willing to resign for less.

Mr Groves came into the Pistons training facility to see how the team was going. He was happy with the progress of the squad but wanted to know about what to expect. Dumars was prepared to tell him all about it while Bobby had a proposal to him. Groves met with both of them in one of the conference rooms.“What do you have for me Joe?” Groves asked him.Dumars started talking, “We’ve decided that we need to get our old identity back, which is defence. We can be a strong defensive team and all we need is a bigger and stronger squad. The offence will come after we bring in more defensive minded players. We need to stay young and athletic. We have a lot of pieces and we’ve decided on two ways to achieve our goal.”Groves was listening intently as Dumars continued, “Firstly, we can try to trade for talent. Secondly, we can rebuild through the draft and free agency.”Groves butted in, “Which method will you focus on? Can’t you do both?”Dumars replied, “Yes, we could do both but we need to focus more on one. So we have decided that we are going to try and trade for talent. We have one guy that we are focussing on and we wish to enquire about him soon.”Groves nodded, “Interesting.”Dumars stated, “We are confident that within a few years, we can be contending. We have a lot of young talent and if we keep some of them around and hopefully bring in an All-Star calibre player then we will be a tough team to beat.”“Look – I am sure you guys have a good plan but I want to see these guys in the playoffs again this season and if not, next season,” Groves demanded, “And I just want to say I am not happy with the Greg Oden signing. No one wanted him except for us.”Dumars defended Oden, “Just give him some time. He’s doing fine.”Groves conceded, “Well, I wouldn’t know better but from my point of view, he hasn’t been anything special.”Dumars shrugged and carried on, “We need a superstar to survive in this league. This is the direction we are going. We don’t think that we can attract anyone substantial through free agency but maybe with the new CBA, we might be able to. I would definitely offer money to the right player.”Groves nodded, “You need to do what you can to make this roster a winner. I am tired of our performance over the last few years. If you don’t mind me asking, which players do you see likely to lead us in the future?”Dumars was quick to answer that one, “Three. Stuckey, Knight, Monroe.”“Very well,” Groves nodded again.Bobby then took over, “Sir, my name is Bobby Jones.”Groves had heard a little bit about Bobby already, “Yes, it’s good to have you on board. How’s life over here? I heard it’s your first visit.”Bobby answered, “It’s going fine sir.”Bobby then pitched an idea to Groves that had him thinking. Bobby wanted the team to be even more interactive with the fans. He wanted Groves to allow seats that could not be sold to be allocated to the poor.“And what’s in it for me?” Groves asked Bobby.Bobby replied, “I think that as a franchise that is recognised nationally, it is our duty to help the people of this city where possible. I think that our business vision should include helping the disadvantaged. Not only do we help our city and lift the spirits of those in need but we will also be recognised for it in the media. This is good publicity for us and something that could repair our image.”Groves thought about it for a bit. The Pistons had never really had great public relations and especially since the Malice at the Place, which was so long ago. Groves had heard people refer to his franchise in all different terms. Perhaps Bobby had a point and as Bobby said, he would be allowing his ownership to play a helping hand in the lives of many people in Detroit.“I think it’s a great idea,” Groves acknowledged Bobby, “The two of you should get me a proposal of what you want to do so that I can sign it off.”Dumars high fived Bobby after Groves left.“I respect that you are trying to give back to our fans,” Dumars admitted, “You are a good man.”Now it was time to crunch the numbers to make sure the idea was sustainable.

Oden was not the only player out of action by the end of January. Rudy and Tayshaun were both hurt by the middle of the month. Despite this, the play of Monroe, Knight and Stuckey kept the Pistons going. They even had a four game winning streak towards the end of the month. Maggette was somehow playing a decent stretch of basketball. Changes were coming though as Dumars and Bobby stepped up their efforts in pursuing their targeted player.

Good chapter. I like Bobby's social side - get the people back in the Palace so you have some crowd to cheer for the new bad boys in the 2014 playoffs.

Apart from that, I understand all of your signings/not-signings. Bad to see Daye never living up to his expectations though. Maxiell's the perfect bench player. I'm interested in which All-Star calibre player you think could help you right now and is available on the market.

hova- wrote:Good chapter. I like Bobby's social side - get the people back in the Palace so you have some crowd to cheer for the new bad boys in the 2014 playoffs.

Apart from that, I understand all of your signings/not-signings. Bad to see Daye never living up to his expectations though. Maxiell's the perfect bench player. I'm interested in which All-Star calibre player you think could help you right now and is available on the market.

Thanks man. Trying to show what kind of man Bobby Jones is. He is one of the main characters after all.

Lamrock wrote:Tough luck with the injuries, but the Maxiell extension is very reasonable and ultimately it should be good for you long-term. Good work, Bobby.

Sit wrote:Also - I went bowling last night and hurt my knee. It is really really sore. Now I know how Bynum feels...

I thought you were trolling me with the text LOL...but damn you got some weak Bynum knees too How do you injure your knee bowling....

Well.... I am not sure if this is how Bynum did it but.....

I was doing a lot of stupid shit... behind the back, between the legs and backwards bowling. And then I was jumping over anything that was anything off the ground (eg. tables and the thing where the bowling balls come back up) to celebrate whenever I hit pins.

I banged my knee a few times. Oh boy how I regret it. Can't even bend down and couldn't sleep last night haha

Sit wrote:I was doing a lot of stupid shit... behind the back, between the legs and backwards bowling. And then I was jumping over anything that was anything off the ground (eg. tables and the thing where the bowling balls come back up) to celebrate whenever I hit pins.

I banged my knee a few times. Oh boy how I regret it. Can't even bend down and couldn't sleep last night haha

Eh...that's not bowling, that's trying to get yourself injured Geez, ice it and stuff n if its still sore go see a doctor lol

Detroit Pistons veteran power forward Jason Maxiell has agreed to a 4-year contract extension with the only club that he has played for during his NBA career. The 29 year old 6’7” forward is currently in his eighth NBA season and averaging 7.1 ppg and 8.6 rpg.

Maxiell agreed to taking less money to enable the franchise to pursue options in free agency this upcoming Summer. Maxiell’s deal will pay him 2.3 million next season and decrease after that because it is a front-loaded contract. Maxiell is to earn 5 million this season and has taken a substantial pay cut.

However, the veteran forward did say that he is happy to take less money so that he can help the team win and also so that he can stay with the franchise for the rest of his career. GM Joe Dumars said that even if Maxiell had held on firm and demanded more money, he would have still re-signed him.

“Jason has been here for a long time,” Dumars stated, “He has the right to demand a bit more money than others. We reward loyalty here in Detroit and are so happy that we have him back. He is one of the hardest workers in this league.”

Rudy Fernandez has broken his finger in training and will miss up to one month. The Pistons sixth man is averaging 6.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg and 1.0 apg. He is shooting relatively well with averages of .464 from the field, .410 from three point territory, and .936 from the charity stripe.

The Spanish swingman is enjoying his time in Detroit as he has become a crowd favourite for his propensity to convert on tough opportunities resulting from his frequent forays to the hoop.

The Atlanta Hawks have made it clear that it would consider trading away their franchise’s best asset if the ‘right offer’ comes along.

Josh Smith has been rumoured to be thinking about testing free agency and the Hawks, naturally, want to ensure that they have some talent if their franchise players does leave. Smith is not expected to leave the Hawks though as he has taken up the sole captaincy role in Atlanta and is having a breakout season.

Smith, on track to make his first NBA All-Star team, is one of the most versatile players in the NBA. Atlanta are struggling this season to get into the top eight of the Eastern Conference.

The Lakers are reportedly interested in a Pau Gasol for Josh Smith swap.

The injuries keep piling up for the Detroit Pistons with veteran small forward Tayshaun Prince the latest casualty.

Prince was diagnosed with a strained MCL and will miss 2-4 weeks. The veteran is coming off a 20 point performance in his last game and is averaging 13.5 ppg (.478 FG%, .377 3PT%), 4.4 rpg, 2.1 apg this season.

February 9, DETROIT (AP) – Corey Maggette has already indicated to the Detroit Pistons that he wishes to test free agency in the Summer. He is putting on a helluva audition for potential suitors since being inserted into Lawrence Frank’s starting five. Maggette followed up a 20 point performance against Brooklyn Nets with a 30 point performance against the visiting San Antonio Spurs.

Maggette was 1 point shy of his season high for points but grabbed an impressive season-high 13 rebounds. His performance would have been much more valuable had the Pistons had won the game though. The Spurs succeeded in snapping Detroit’s 4 game winning streak.

The Spurs did not look fazed at all despite running into some trouble in the first quarter against the Pistons’ Great Wall of Glen. Monroe and Greg Oden combined for 6 blocked shots – all of them coming in the first half. Their energy helped the Pistons finish with 11 blocks as a team compared to the Spurs’ 2.

The Spurs took control of the game with a 20-4 run in the third quarter. Their biggest lead of the game was 19. The Pistons stayed patient and fought back in the final period. Knight’s three pointer capped a Pistons scoring run with 3:39 left in the game and brought the score to 100-95. From that point on though, Stephen Jackson always had an answer with a long range shot every time the Pistons got close to the Spurs.

Jackson hit all 4 of his three point shots in the last quarter and held the Pistons at bay. Jackson finished with 24 points off the bench. Tony Parker was at his best with 22 points and 18 assists. Manu Ginobili added 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.

The Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets are negotiating a deal that would send the disgruntled Royce White to Motown. White has caused a fuss this season after skipping practices and road games because of his anxiety problems. He has accused the Rockets of not ‘treating him seriously’ and ‘with enough care’.

The Rockets had originally held a stance that they would not trade the rookie but recently softened on their position. The Pistons are reportedly offering a trade package including a future first round draft pick for White. League sources indicate that many teams have been turned off by White’s behaviour. Joe Dumars and the Pistons are intrigued by White’s all-around talent.

The Pistons can score 110 on the Spurs?! I'll be surprised if they score 90 IRL Screw White, from all the reports so far, even considering his anxiety disorder he's just a little spoiled crybaby. Works out for the Pistons though so go for it

Just caught up with the story. It's nice to see one from the very beginning. I like the direction you are going with this and it's an interesting story as well. I like the signing of Oden, unfortunate that he got injured. I think it would be interesting to see Drummond and Monroe starting down low, a strong front court. Anyways, now that I'm back I will be following. You have been hard by the injury bug, should be intersting to see who you trade for. I am going to get a story up and running soon. I only have a few weeks left in Afghanistan.

Just caught up with the story. It's nice to see one from the very beginning. I like the direction you are going with this and it's an interesting story as well. I like the signing of Oden, unfortunate that he got injured. I think it would be interesting to see Drummond and Monroe starting down low, a strong front court. Anyways, now that I'm back I will be following. You have been hard by the injury bug, should be intersting to see who you trade for. I am going to get a story up and running soon. I only have a few weeks left in Afghanistan.

hova- wrote:White got skills - but he can be a pain in the ---. I'd like that deal though, since 2k13 has no rating named "anxiety". Great ball handler, scorer and rebounder.

Valor wrote:The Pistons can score 110 on the Spurs?! I'll be surprised if they score 90 IRL Screw White, from all the reports so far, even considering his anxiety disorder he's just a little spoiled crybaby. Works out for the Pistons though so go for it

Khanwarrior wrote:White is meh because of his anxiety but luckily 2k doesn't have that, I think he would be a good asset because he is a solid overall player.

I need a more interesting guy on the team... so a crybaby is good. Valor keeps complaining that my team is boring and shit.

To raise your player’s rating by 5 in a skill based attribute: 3To raise your player’s rating by 5 in a physical based attribute: 5

PLAYER DEMANDS

Complain about the coach: 1Complain about a teammate: 2Demand a trade: 3Demand a trade and provide a shortlist of destinations: 4Demand a trade and choose your next destination: 5

DECLARING FOR THE DRAFT

WHEN?

You may declare any time before the conclusion of the first round of the Playoffs. You may also withdraw any time before then as well.

I will also allow you to report your intention to declare at any time. This means that I will start writing articles about your player.

HOW?

Post in this thread that you:

- intend to delcare, and/or- will declare

and I will PM you the details that I need. Once you confirm that you WILL declare, I will deduct your points.

A CHANCE TO EARN POINTS

Every article written by you and PM’ed to me that gets posted will earn points. Give your draftee a backstory and a chance to improve his stock as well.

WHY DECLARE SOONER OR LATER

If you declare sooner, it means your player will make it into the L earlier. However, you may not be as good as a prospect as if you wait and accumulate points. If you declare later, you can have control over whether your player is a first or second round prospect.

Do not be disheartened about being drafted in the second round. The pros are that you can have some choice over your free agency destination/s after just one season! It also makes for a more interesting story.

Points have been added above. Mrmoves – you guessed the most correct so you got a bonus point!

NEW CHALLENGE

Please predict the outcome of the following:

MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge: ???Winner of the 3 Point Contest: ???Winner of the Slam Dunk Contest: ???MVP of the NBA All-Star Game: ???Leading scorer for East All-Stars: ???Leading scorer for West All-Stars: ???

0.5 point for each correct guess

BONUS GUESS

How many points does the MVP of the NBA All-Star Game score?

a) 15-25b) 26-35c) 36-45d) 46-55

0.5 point for each correct guess but minus 1 point for incorrect guess